Sunday, June 24, 2012

The Light

Hold My hand- and trust. So long as you are conscious of My Presence with you, all is well. It is virtually impossible to stumble while walking in the Light with Me. I designed you to enjoy Me above all else. You find the deepest fulfillment of your heart in Me alone.

Fearful, anxious thoughts melt away in the Light of My Presence. When you turn away from Me, you are vulnerable to the darkness that is always at work in the world. Don't be surprised by how easily you sin when you forget to cling to My hand. In the world, dependency is seen as immaturity. Buy in My kingdom, dependence on Me is a prime measure of maturity.

(from Jesus Calling)

Friday, June 22, 2012

3 of 10

Just finished book number 3 in my goal to read 10 currently owned books by the end of the year. A while back I had started reading a book on my NOOK- I must have gotten a free download or something. I knew nothing about this book or author, so I can't imagine I paid for the book, but perhaps I did. Either way, it was an excellent read. Unfortunately, it was the second boom in a series- and now I want to abandon my stacks of books and download the first book in the series!
Crush is the second adventure of FBI profiler Karen Vail. Written by Alan Jacobson, I think I liked it so much because it had a similar feel to my beloved Jonathan Kellerman novels. Mystery, psychology, likable characters. And an intense cliffhanger! Ugh! Gotta get through the next 7 books quick so I can go back and read number 1 in the series and the move on to number 3! Can't wait to find out what happens next...

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Home again home again

Road trip=success!

I think a short chronicle of the last few days is in order. Monday I returned home from work to find the huz had loaded the car for me. Thank you huz! So Punky and I were on the way earlier than anticipated. She fell asleep about 20 minutes into the trip- and woke about 10 minutes before arrival. She was immediately handed from family member to family member, kissed and hugged endlessly. And then went to bed a short time later.

Tuesday was a busy day. She was passed around some more, introduced to about a billion people, strolled down to the dock, almost crawled, "said" apple, snoozed a little, etc. etc. and although she was exhausted and hotter than hot in Hoover, she stuck it out for Grandma's ordination. She managed to fall asleep durning the celebration after the service. And when Mommy thought it was way too hot, she got up and moved to the air conditioned living room and went back to sleep like the best baby ever.

Wednesday she went shopping with Grandpa and Mommy for a new Lakeside shirt. She got passed around some more, to be loved on yet again. Punky met David, a curiously friendly young man of 8 (give or take a year). And when she started to get sleepy, jumped in the car for the trip home. She lasted about 20 minutes before she zonked out for the remainder of the trip.

She did amazing! Handled being handled by strangers and the hottest Lakeside I ever remember. Three hours in the car, no problem! Being up late, whatev!

Punky is currently getting reacquainted with her toys, waiting for Daddy to get home.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Traveling

To Lakeside we will go, to Lakeside we will go, hi ho the stuff will go, to Lakeside we will go.

Ahh, Lakeside. It will be Punky's first trip to Lakeside. Still too young to appreciate the beauty of the gross lake and the friendliness of the people- everyone always waves- he he he. Although things have changed. More stop signs, less cars parked on sidewalks, not as many people walking the streets. But those are minor details. She'll get to see the pier where Granpop likes to fish. And the gazebo where Mommy and Daddy got married. And watch Gramma on the big stage. And of course, be fussed over by all sorts of family and friends.

But getting there will be an adventure. Punky and I will be making our second ever overnight journey, solo (poor Daddy has to work). We leave tonight after work. I'm not sure how all the stuff will fit in the car! (Yes, I know we are only going for 2 days. Seven month olds require a lot of things! Lakeside requires a lot of things!) I'm not sure how a three hour car ride is going to go either. But we'll find out. And tonight we'll be in Lakeside!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Hypothyroidism

After my salty post yesterday, I thought maybe it finally time to do some long-over due research. According to one website my new love affair with salt truly could be a thyroid thing!

Why The Salt Craving Helps

That may not be the most reliable of sources, but it was interesting. I read on:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge-newspaper-2010/mar-19a.html

Fascinating. Why didn't I read up on this before? Oh right. Cause when I found out about my thyroid, I was busy reading up on what pregnancy symptoms to be expecting...

Moaning and Groaning?

June 12- Jesus Calling (Sarah Young)

Let Me help you get through this day. There are many possible paths to travel between your getting up in the morning and your lying down at night. Stay alert to the many choice-points along the way, being continually aware of My Presence. You will get through this day one way or the other. One way is to moan and groan, stumbling along with shuffling feet. This will get you to the end of the day eventually, but there is a better way. You can choose to walk with Me along the path of Peace, leaning on Me as much as you need. There will still be difficulties along the way, but you can face them confidently in My strength. Thank Me for each problem you encounter, and watch to see how I transform trials into blessings.

1 Corinthians 10:10
Luke 1:79

Monday, June 11, 2012

Salt, soap, and sandals

Every once in a while I learn something about myself. Today was not one of those days. But I was reminded of three things I previously learned about myself.

1) Salt. I always used to use salt sparingly. Then Mini Muffin started growing. I was tired of eating crackers to deal with my nausea, so I switched to pretzels and boy was that salt amazing! A friend looked at me with amusement as she watched me salt my scrambled eggs- something she'd never seen me do before. Someone told me the salt thing had to do with my screwy thyroid. I blamed pregnancy. Well today I was snacking on pretzels. Unfortunately, it was the end of the bag... You know, where there are only pretzel pieces and lots of loose salt. And that salt was delicious! Hmm, Punky's six months old...maybe there's something to that thyroid theory afterall...

2) Soap. Pet peeve- no soap in the soap dispenser at work- for the fourth day in a row. Wouldn't you think the people who clean twice a day would check the soap dispensers? Apparently not. This is Monday and still no soap in the dispenser that was empty on Friday.

3) Sandals. It's summer. People wear sandals. I wear sandals. But inevitably I pick to wear sandals on a rainy day. Something that irritates me more than empty soap dispensers it's wet pant legs against my skin- because I wore sandals on a rainy day. Eww! See, I have short legs, therefore my pant legs are typically too long and drag on the ground. On rainy days, the wet seeps up, up, up my pant legs, brushing against my bare skin if not protected by socks. I've been known to strip off wet pants immediately upon arriving home. The huz finds my sensory issues highly amusing. Sure, I'll play in the mud. And once I went a whole week without showering (that's a story for another time). But when playtime is over, I want a shower and clean, dry clothes. And wet dress pants at my desk at work- not playtime! You think by now I'd have learned to check the weather before dressing for work in the morning...

Sunday, June 10, 2012

2 of 10

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Just completed book 2 out of my goal of completing 10 from my shelves. The Last Unicorn, hmm, what to say about it? It was sort of like a fairy tale, sort of like and adventure. Yes, it centered on the last remaining unicorn. And a magician. And Molly Grue. The unlikely gang set off on a heroic quest.

It wasn't a bad read, a nice, easy tale. But I found it somehow lacking- though I'm not sure exactly what was missing. It wasn't until a good halfway through before I felt any connection with the characters. It seemed a predictable tale and yet at the same time, I had no clue where the story was taking me. So on my random rating scale, this book merits a 5 out of 10.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Who is in charge of your life?

June 7 reading from Jesus Calling:

I am all around you, like a cocoon of Light. My Presence with you is a promise, independent of your awareness of Me. Many things can block this awareness, but the major culprit is worry. My children tend I accept worry as an inescapable fact of life. However, worry is a form of unbelief; it is anathema to Me.
Who is in charge of your life? If it is you, then you have good reason to worry. But if it is I, then worry is both unnecessary and counterproductive. When you start to feel anxious about something, relinquish the situation to Me. Back off a bit, redirecting your focus to Me. I will either take care of the problem Myself or show you how to handle it. In this world you will have problems, but you need not lose sight of Me.

He said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you- you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Luke 12:22-31

Sometimes you laugh

And sometimes you cry.
And sometimes you do both.
At the same time.

Just one of those weeks I guess. Nothing monumental, nothing completely disastrous. But not humdrum average either. Or maybe it is...

Monday Punky had her first experience with the dentist. She went with Daddy to his appointment. We got the patio furniture all put together. We got the garage cleaned up enough to get one car in it again. Got the little garbage can area built. So we made progress!

But my body rebelled again, two evenings in a row I dealt with the ever frustrating IBS symptoms. I had a doctor appointment that took three times as long as it should have. The huz got home from work last evening- 3 hours after he should have been home. Oh and at 3:30 in the morning, Punky was all scrunched up at the end of the crib- which meant her sensor pad alarm went off, waking not only the huz and myself, but Punky too. Thankfully, she was still pretty drowsy and went back to sleep quickly. But it's not so easy for mom when that alarm goes off- the heart starts racing. And even though I know chances are good that she's just rolled off the sensor, there is still the fear that I'll find her not breathing when I breech the threshold.

But she wakes in the morning with a bright shiny face, ready for the day. And I look at my schedule to see I've had two cancellations. In the middle I the day, of course, not the beginning or end. Which means I'll have some free time today, but not when I can spend it with my daughter.

And that's how it goes for us.